Broken UCP 1
by CAMIR
Summary: Part 1 of my "unconventional pairings" series. One night Miles Quaritch enters Grace's laboratory with the intention of blackmailing her into doing what he wants. A duel of wills begins...
1. Steps on Metal

**Broken**

_Disclaimer_: This time I have to give the credits to **James Cameron. **I believe he owns everything about the world Pandora, as he was its inventor. Anyway. I really enjoyed Avatar apart from the fact that all cool characters died.

_Author's Note_: Speaking of cool characters: Grace was definitely my favorite one. It's true, although this fanfiction is certainly **not** nice to her. It is part of my "unconventional pairings" series I was trying to begin and I came up with Grace Augustine/ Miles Quaritch. The only way for me to do this in character means that there will be some force involved.

I have to add, that English is not my native tongue. So if you find any errors in grammar, word choice or syntax that impairs your reading experience, please tell me. I'd be glad to improve. I also didn't have the opportunity to watch the movie in the original version (but in its German dubbing); which means I have to guess the way the characters talk.

_How this story works_: Okay, so here's the **warning**: this story contains **angst, non-con **and** psychic terror. **But it won't be explicit. That's not the way I work. Maybe there will be a happy ending (but not with them two. No way.). I seriously don't know, but I listen to any suggestions made. I really do.

_Thanks and dedications:_ I dedicate this story to my dear friends, who always encourage me, even on the weirdest ideas I develop. I furthermore dedicate it to my readers, whom I can give something with what I'm doing. And last but not least to the **awesome** actors (and all other participants) of the movie, who made it possible to bring this world to life.

**Text passages written in bold face have been added afterwards. I added them after watching the extended version of the movie and updating this fanfiction in order to take these events into account.**

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**Chapter 1 - Steps on Metal**

A normal day on Pandora lasted 37 hours and 27 minutes when measured with clocks manufactured on earth. This meant that a standard Pandoran night lasted about 18 hours in average. Grace knew. It was one of the first things she had learned about and later experienced herself on this new world.

As far as she knew there were no analogous clocks designed to show Pandora time. And her old alarm clock had proved rather useless in this environment. But that was okay with her. She decided to keep the thing out of some nostalgia and as a reminder that time was a relative thing.

In the meantime she had to help herself with the digital clocks situated at the desktop of her working station and implemented into almost any other device which used an electronic interface.

The clock told her now that it was rather late in the night, even for Pandoran standards.

It was quiet all around her, because almost everybody must have gone to bed by now. She however liked staying up late.

It gave her the opportunity to bring some order into the bunch of data she and her scientists collected every day, without getting disturbed by a lot of trivial things.

For any observer her workstation seemed a messy place, but she had her own intricate order, knowing exactly where everything was – including her pack of cigarettes, without which she could never have endured so long in these foreign surroundings.

There were times when she regretted that it was impossible for humans to move freely in the planet's air, discovering everything in their true forms, but then she reminded herself of the incredible sensations that she could only experience in her Avatar body. It was like a complete new life, free of all the frailties of being human and perfect for the exploration of the dangerous forests which grew behind the big fence that protected Hell's Gate.

Today she and her scientists had been able to collect some plant samples in areas of the forest, they haven't been to yet and these samples still needed to be catalogued properly, if they should be of any future use. Grace had never before seen these strange flowers and herbs now lying on her desk and she again felt the sensation upon a new discovery.

Since her arrival on Pandora there had been so many of them, but still the scientist in her got excited, when she found something new.

Even after several years of living here and doing research there was so much yet unexplored and unexplained and being one of the first persons to solve these riddles and bringing order in the abundance of newly discovered species was thrilling for her.

Cataloguing was but one step in that direction. It involved detailed descriptions of the specimen, followed by several scans, each one looking for something different. Then the samples became tagged with names or numbers and got stored away for further research.

According to the archive files, which were growing each day, they possessed by now far more cataloged than truly researched specimen – but there still was so much time to do it properly. They had only just begun.

She took the first sample off the staple on her desk, turning it around in her hands. She was about to begin to record a first and crude description of the plant, when she heard steps behind her.

Since it was so silent, she could hear the sound on the metal floor of the lab all the better. It almost seemed to echo in the big room.

It was quite unusual that somebody entered the laboratory at night, which was another reason why she enjoyed working late. Maybe one of her colleagues had forgotten something or maybe had the same idea as she had had, thus she turned around to greet the late visitor.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized who had entered the room. It was the last person she had expected, mainly because he almost never deemed it necessary to come to these parts of the compound.

"Quaritch! What the hell do you want here?"

Her surprise got the better of her manners and quite frankly she did not like him particularly well.

The colonel emerged out of the shadows and the cold lighting of the lab made his face harder than it already was. He stopped a few meters away from her, his hands casually in his pockets and it was only then that she saw the humorless smile on his face.

"You!" was the only answer he gave and it sounded quite matter-of-factly.

She laughed sarcastically and shook her head in disbelief.

"Again? I told you, we're not ready analyzing today's data!"

"I'm not talking about data."

"I have no time for games. If you're drunk, please go somewhere else and stop bothering me. There are still some…" She stopped in midsentence, when she realized that he did not seem drunk. He never had been actually.

"I'm not joking." He stayed completely calm, but the menacing undertone was there nevertheless. He took some steps toward her so that Grace could almost smell him.

She felt some shivers down her spine and her instincts told her to leave immediately. This was so surreal that she could not believe her eyes and ears.

"Now what? You seriously march in right here after all these years and tell me you have some sort of attraction to me? Why me of all these women on the compound?"

"I like my women strong-willed."

"Okay, I get it. Be as cryptic as you want to be. I have enough of this."

She rose from her chair.

He stayed silent for a few seconds and Grace decided that she should get out of there as soon as possible.

It was only when she headed for the door that he blocked her exit by moving in her way and touching her shoulder.

"Not so fast."

"For Heaven's sake, what is your goddamn problem?"

She almost desperately tried to sound brave, but the panic which arose in her made her voice tremble slightly. It dawned on her that there was nothing she could do if he attempted to make a move on her. The sleeping quarters were in another part of the complex and she had insisted that no soldier whatsoever would guard her precious lab. These idiots made more mess than they were good for.

Tactically flawless, she had to give him that!

"I want you; it's as simple as that."

"So you decide to sneak up on me in the middle of the night?"

She was tempted to ask him, why he never had showed any signs of a flirtatious interest like buying her a cup of coffee - or still better a pack of cigarettes -, but she feared he could take it as an encouragement, that she actually_ reciprocated_ his intentions. Thus she stayed silent.

His grip on her shoulder tightened a bit, which made her flinch.

"I guessed you needed some kind of _incentive_, since it is quite obvious that you don't like me, Doctor_._"

"I get as much: you take whatever you want notwithstanding any person's feelings. So what are you going to do now, rape me or what?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? It'd give you all the evidence against me you needed, but I'm not stupid. No, I won't touch you. It is _you_ who should touch _me_."

"Let me get this straight: _You_ want to get involved with _me_, but nevertheless it is _I_ who should make the first move."

"Exactly. You're as brilliant as I thought." A smug smile crossed his face.

"And what in God's name gives you the idea that I willingly participate in that little scheme of yours?"

"I never said "willingly", Doctor. What is it with you always misreading what I say?"

Somewhat taken aback she stood before him and didn't know what to answer. All her sarcasm couldn't prepare her for this man and it seemed that everything she had said didn't reach him. His short and somewhat cynical utterances had served their purpose and she discovered that he had maneuvered her through the conversation without her realizing it. And now he had her where he wanted her to be. For a few moments there was silence between them, almost as if he enjoyed the effect his last words had made on her.

If there was one thing about Quaritch she had learned over the last few years on Pandora it was this: He always had a plan – which meant in her case that he didn't make these implications without a reason. He already had said that she needed an incentive and she could only guess what that might be. **Especially when she took into account the history she shared with him.**

Finally she shook her head and stared at the floor.

"Alright, tell me."

"Now you're talking reason, my dear. I thought you would never ask."

His hand wandered from her shoulder to her cheek which made Grace inhale sharply. She resisted the urge to do something about his unwanted touch, before she knew what he was about to say.

"It's actually pretty simple. You see, I never cared much for your little blue friends out there. If I had it my way, there wouldn't be any of these savages left to deal with anymore, but Parker sees things differently** now**. As you might be aware**, the general order is**: Killing natives is bad for business. I believe however that I could easily convince him otherwise, if it were necessary – but for the sake of your little research here I will – at the moment - refrain from doing so. If you are a good girl... **But if you refuse, I just want to remind you what happened at the school a few years ago. I think you don't want history to repeat itself so quickly.**"

"You can't be serious. You would kill off sentient beings in order to blackmail me to sleep with you?"

"Since I firmly believe, you wouldn't want your alien friends to be killed, there's no need to pursue this course of action **this time**, no. Besides they never were much more than a nuisance."

"To you and your stupid marines maybe!" For a second Grace forgot her own predicament. She could get excited easily when talking about Pandora and its inhabitants. Here she felt on safe ground. "They believe the Na'Vi are savage and brutal", she continued spitefully, "because they learn it from _you!_ But none of you ever takes the time to get to know them."

His hand on her cheek grabbed her face and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Look at me! _Look at me!_ You call these scars harmless?" Then he calmed down a little. "Rest assured, for every military action we might take against them they only have themselves to blame! It certainly wouldn't hit the wrong ones. But as I said – if you consider my offer, I will leave you to your little puppeteer games for the time being. Parker still believes you could be of future use. I won't contradict him then."

"If I said I won't do it, you will launch a massive strike against helpless people? Women and children?"

"I wouldn't exactly call them helpless, but otherwise you're quite right."

"You're despicable!"

"Nice doesn't get you anywhere. Especially on this godforsaken place. Besides, that's exactly the reason me and my soldiers are here. So far there wasn't much of a chance for diplomacy."

"How surprising when you take their land without asking and shoot at them whenever the opportunity arises!"

"My point is: Parker gets restless, he wants to see results and he has every right to do so. Your little games have proven rather pointless up to this day, making a military operation more probable with every passing hour."

"We simply need more time! Everything is still so new! And Parker knows that."

"Maybe, but he also doesn't care. What I will give you is more time. Take it or leave it. I give you three days to decide."

"How generous!", Grace snorted still unwilling to believe what she had just heard.

"As I said, take it or leave it!"

Quaritch released her from his grip, but refused to break eye contact. "Three days!" Then he turned around and left the room leaving the scientist behind.

The first second he had exited Grace fell back on her chair, but the plant samples she had worked with earlier had lost their fascination.

She needed a cigarette. Badly!


	2. Contemplations

Thank you for your reviews and favs. I'm still learning, but I hope I wrote the characters at least a bit convincingly. I hope that this chapter is in-character, too. Enjoy... :)

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**Chapter 2 - Contemplations**

Miles Quaritch lay on his bunk, the arms crossed above his head and he smiled. It was a dirty, evil smile, but it fitted his current mood. He was very satisfied with himself – everything had happened just as he had it planned – not that he was used to something else.

He knew that he was a controversial person and that there were many people who believed his methods harsh or brutal, but almost all of them agreed on one thing: He was a brilliant tactician. That's why he had been hired in the first place.

It might take him a while to develop a plan, but if he finally had one it never failed. This trait had earned him many recommendations back on earth and apart from his first encounter with these blue savages it also proved useful on Pandora. Very useful.

The truth was he had wanted her from the first time he had seen her about six years ago. She was intelligent and not frightened to speak her mind and had this air of independence although she depended on a great many things here.

Even when it became obvious that her research was only tolerated, because it might turn out profitable one day she continued as if she had actually a say in all this. She defended her territory with teeth and claws and was even able to get a few concessions here and there.

Quaritch remembered her lively debates with Parker Selfridge and sometimes also with him all too vividly. She was actually pretty good at this. She knew exactly how to appeal to Selfridge's ego or his sense of greed, she knew when it was useful to overstep her boundaries and when it was better to stay silent.

No, she was not afraid. Maybe it was, he guessed, because she had nothing to lose, but always something to gain, but it didn't matter. It made her attractive in his eyes.

Of course there were other women in this facility and he even had slept with one or two of them, but it never had meant anything for him apart from the fact that he had to fulfill a human necessity from time to time.

Normally he avoided sexual encounters with subordinates. The obvious reason was that one could easily accuse him of abuse of power, but another reason was that they wouldn't dare to talk back. They feared him and the power he had over them, which made them docile and obedient. And they were much too young…

Grace didn't fear him, she despised him and his methods and she had never made an effort to hide those feelings. That much became clear to him that evening.

But it was also, what made her interesting.

She was one of the few women on the compound who was not obliged to report to him. As an independent scientist she answered to no one directly, apart from the fact that her research was largely funded by RDA.

Almost all the other women were marines and thus his responsibility. They knew how to shoot and how to obey orders, but they lacked a certain spirit.

She was also a worthy opponent. **He clearly remembered her fierce expression when she defended the Na'Vi children during his raid of the school. She had not been in her human form then, but her features had been very recognizable. There was this fire in her eyes, this sense of defiance. Not that he had cared, he had shot her anyway in the end, since he had had a job to do and she had been in the way. She had never forgiven him, but that was okay.**

His smile widened when he remembered his conversation with her the last evening. He almost had her although it was probably too easy. Now he could only wait.

He knew that everything in her wanted to fight him, but she could not escape if she wanted to save her precious savages, which she wanted of course.

And she had no evidence against him whatsoever.

Since it was highly unlikely that anyone would break in the lab there were no security cameras – and if he recalled it correctly she had strongly encouraged this. Apart from that there was nothing except her word against his. And he would deny everything. It was perfect and she had no way out, if she decided to play by the rules. He didn't doubt that she did, since dirty tricks were his domain. She lacked the proper imagination and the military training as well as the willingness to sacrifice others in order to achieve a goal. Although it was still beyond his understanding what fascination those ugly aliens could possibly hold. They were uncivilized and dirty and they hindered the company's progress. He was quite sure that nobody would ever miss them, should the need arise to eradicate them **for good**.

But that was nothing he had to worry about right now. Grace would give in, he was certain of that.

What he hadn't told her was that he had no intention to strike before he didn't know more about his enemy. This would make the attack more efficient and less expensive.

And she and her team would be the ones helping him to get that information… He had time.

Grace stared at the bunch of empty coffee cops before her.

She couldn't bring herself to go to sleep after her encounter with the colonel out of fear that what he had told her would have haunted her in her dreams. Besides, she needed to think.

She realized that her hands were shaking and she probably looked like her own ghost, but she couldn't care less. She needed this overdose of caffeine – in a strange sense it reminded her that she was still alive.

There had to be solution. It simply _had_ to be…

She had thought of talking to Parker, but discarded it quickly. It would only look as a weak attempt on her part to denigrate the Colonel.

Parker knew of her history with Quaritch and he also had witnessed some of their fights. **Most notably the one where her Avatar body got damaged. She had lost a lot of credibility that day, since she had dared to defy the troops of her own people. All things aside she had to consider herself lucky that she hadn't lost more in the end. She still had her position and was allowed to continue research. Although it had been a major drawback, it had been the last really violent confrontation between human and Na'Vi for the time being. Because of all of this s**he feared that her disagreements with the security chief were motive enough for Parker in order not to believe her. And she did not want to be called a liar or insane **again**.

There also existed no evidence of that conversation, since she had believed it unnecessary to install any security measures at the lab. A decision she now cursed herself for. Additionally Quaritch had refrained from physically abusing her, leaving no trace whatsoever of his late visit. Clever bastard!

He seemed to have carefully planned this, leaving her no way out. And the worst thing was that he knew this and enjoyed it all the more. If there only were a way to turn the table in her favor.

She was still puzzled by his recent advancement. What did he hope to gain by doing this? And why did he choose _her_? He certainly had much younger women at his disposal who were eager to serve him. What a pun!

Without realizing it she grabbed another cigarette. They had vanished almost at the same rate as the coffee had. Definitely not healthy – but it helped.

She heard steps behind her and it took her an immense effort of will not to recoil. It was one thing to see her drinking coffee and smoking – she did that on a regular basis, but it was another thing to see her in that nervous state.

"Everything okay?"

Max stepped into her view. He had a tray with food with him and seemed surprised to find her where she was sitting. "You look terrible…," he added with a worried tone in his voice.

_No kidding…_

"Yeah, everything's fine. There simply was this research project which kept me up the whole night."

_And a research project it is!_

He didn't seem convinced, but he decided to leave it at that.

"Just be careful not to overwork yourself."

She smiled weakly. Of course she appreciated his concern, but she feared it would do no good to tell him the truth. There was nothing gained by doing so, apart from the fact that he would probably believe her.

He couldn't help her either and she didn't know him well enough to tell him about it anyway. It would only spoil his eagerness for the research and that was the last thing she needed. She needed at least something she could relate to.

"Could you do me a favor?" she finally asked.

"What is it?"

"I have some plant samples on my desk. I couldn't finish cataloging them last night and I fear I have other things to do today. Could you do this for me please?"

It probably was pretty stupid, but those samples reminded her of her encounter with Quaritch. She wanted them out of the way as soon as possible. And she didn't want to see them again.

"Sure, no problem!"

"Thanks…"

Slowly she got up.

"Gotta go, but I guess I see you around! Enjoy your meal!"

She smiled again, trying to hide her true feelings.

He returned the smile and nodded.

"Thank you. You know where you can find me."

When she had turned her back on him her smile faded quickly. Max was one of her closest colleagues and still she found it impossible to confide in him. This was something she had to do alone.

For the moment she saw no other option than to take part in Quaritch's little game. She convinced herself that it would only be for the time being, since he had said he would give her time in exchange for her 'services'.

Maybe time was all she really needed. She knew that another transport ship was due to arrive in several weeks. On board were some new members for her team. Maybe they would be able to speed up things a little and help her to regain control. Who knew?

And what was there to lose beside her dignity? … She sighed.

Her dignity was a small price compared to the lives of countless Na'Vi.

But why on earth did he do this to her? She had come to Pandora to escape a nightmare and now she had landed in another one. This time there was no escape. At least not a permanent one…

But she knew one thing for sure: she wouldn't make this easy for him.

Three days was what he had said and three days was what he would get. She would not go to him sooner than necessary, oh no she would let him wait.


	3. Preparations

Thanks for all the favs and reviews. Please tell me, if you find anything inconsistent with the characters. I'm always happy to receive some criticism. Sorry that it took me so long this time. I had actually planned to make this chapter even longer, but then I decided to split it. Be prepared for some evil things in the next one. Otherwise: Enjoy - ;)

Sorry... I inadvertedly confused the documents. This is the **real** chapter three!

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**Chapter 3 - Preparations**

Data streams were running down on the computer screen. They came so fast that most people had trouble following them, but Grace was not one of them. She found comfort in the letters and numbers. They were real, they _meant_ something and they distracted her from a different matter. Her time was almost up.

This evening she had to go to Quaritch and inform him of her decision.

_Decision!_

In truth there never had been a decision at all, because the alternative couldn't have been an option for her. She didn't doubt that the colonel would have made his threats come true if she dared to refuse. He never said anything he didn't mean **and by now she now of what he was capable of**.

Of course there was no guarantee that he wouldn't attack the Na'Vi somewhere in the future anyway **like he did in the past**, she had no illusions about that, but maybe then there was more she could do to prevent it.

She was actually quite surprised that he had made no effort to see her in these three days, but then again she had nowhere to go. He sat like a spider in his web waiting for her to come to him.

Stupid metaphors! Her biological education sometimes got the better of her!

She on her part had immersed herself in work. Unfortunately there hadn't been an opportunity to use her Avatar body, but it was enough to put some effort in the research of already collected specimen. At least it gave her a distraction, but no real escape. Escape she had found in another thing.

Her beloved Vodka.

She was very careful not to let herself completely go, especially in front of her colleagues, but when she was alone she found some comfort in drinking. It helped her feel better and gave her a chance to relax at least for a night. She had been a moderate drinker before, but the events of the last days made the bottle even more compelling. Still she was too sensible not to get too obviously drunk, because she still cared for her work and wanted to be sober enough to continue. She also didn't want to completely lose control over herself and do things she regretted later. What she needed was courage. A lot of courage.

She glanced at the clock at the computer screen and sighed.

Slowly she lifted her hand and stopped the data stream with one swift movement. Then she switched the screen off and arose slowly.

Some of her co-workers shot a quick glance at her, but once their curiosity was satisfied they carried on with their work.

She was the boss – she could arrive and leave when she wished. They knew that she took the research serious enough not to back off and let them do all the work.

Grace sighed again.

_If they only knew…_

The moment she left the laboratory a feeling of loneliness overcame her. It was not that she regretted anything; she assumed full responsibility for the situation she was in now. But it still hurt that there was nobody she could talk to. Even if it was self-imposed. She quickly reminded herself what her reasons had been. It was only for the best…

Without hurry she wandered through the corridors.

Her first destination was her quarters. Before her final confrontation with Quaritch she felt she needed to prepare herself.

She had no illusions about the whole situation: No matter what she did, it would never be enough to successfully tell him to go to hell. But her pride urged her not to give up so easily. She owed herself that one.

When the doors of her quarters finally came into view she slowed down her pace. She stopped before the electronic locking system and entered her personal code. With a hissing sound the doors moved aside and let her in.

The room was a mess.

_A perfect mirror of how I feel…_

Although Grace was not the tidiest person, she normally managed to keep her quarters in the same intricate order as her desk. But this mess was unusual even for her. Clothes lay around; portable datapads containing various research projects were spread on her table in the middle of the room and the floor. A half-empty Vodka bottle and a used glass stood on the table. The ashtray was full; the pack of cigarettes next to it was nearly used up.

The reason for the current state of this room was that she had avoided spending too much time in it. She had slept there and used the bottle, when she felt she needed it. Otherwise she had tried not to be alone. Thus she had postponed any cleaning measures to an uncertain future.

She let herself fall into one of the chairs and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

_Calm down!_

Without really noticing it she grabbed the bottle and poured some of its contents into the glass next to it. She downed it and grimaced shortly after. It burned and it didn't taste particularly well. To hell with it!

She poured another one, yet didn't touch it immediately. She would drink it when she left. Maybe it gave the last bit of courage she still lacked.

Finally she stood up and began collecting the clothes on the floor. She was looking for something she could wear at her encounter with the colonel. For a short moment she thought about putting on the ugliest clothes available, thus making her as unattractive as possible, but she discarded the notion quickly. This time she had something to lose and if she played her cards correctly, there was a slight chance that she maybe could influence the situation in her favor. Maybe.

She was still unsure whether she could dare to defy him in one way or another, but she definitely knew that she shouldn't overdo it. She couldn't afford to antagonize Quaritch at the moment.

Evidently she didn't have any evening dresses at her disposal. There was no need for them on Pandora, where her whole life was situated in an artificial environment that required her to work, eat and sleep. Her entire wardrobe consisted of something practical. She didn't have one single skirt with her, but a wide assortment of trousers and blouses, all having in common that they were robust and comfortable. They were not ugly, but they also were definitely not chic!

One of them had to do either way.

Quaritch certainly wouldn't pay attention to her clothes…

In the end she decided for a simple pair of jeans and a white blouse. This was something she sometimes wore as a casual dress in her spare time. It was not designed to make her look good, but it also didn't worsen her looks.

When she was finished changing she shot a quick glance in the mirror.

_I am still somebody. I might lose my dignity, but I can never lose who I am._

She shook her head.

When she had signed on for the stay on Pandora she had done so in order to leave human affairs behind. She had suffered enough, she needed the distance. Some of her colleagues even joked that she preferred plants over humans.

That was not true – she simply wanted to be left alone. After what had happened she had no interests in dates and too much fraternization.

And here she was on the verge of the weirdest, sickest date in her life.

She looked at the glass on the table. The alcohol in her bloodstream had already made some impact. She felt bolder.

Maybe it was unwise to take another glass. She didn't want to smell too much of this stuff, it only made her appear weak.

Instead she grabbed a last cigarette before she left…


	4. Needs and Wants

Hi everyone. I'm quite astonished by the sheer number of reviews I received for this fiction. That is more than I usually get and I want to thank anybody, who took the time to leave a comment, especially the ones who were so persistent that I should update

Truth be told: The chapter, or at least its original version was finished far earlier, but then my beta reader got an idea how to improve it even more. She suggested that Quaritch shouldn't be a complete barbarian, but that he also has this sort of cultivated intelligence on him. I found that more convincing (and a bit meaner) as if he were just a lust-driven perv (which had been my original shot...). I hope you go along with this, as well. I find it quite brilliant. ;)

Thus I apologize for the inconvenience of having to let you wait a bit longer, but this was by far the hardest chapter. It's also slightly longer than the others. And I'm not finished. But that's it. Enough of rant.

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**Chapter 4**

**Needs and Wants**

Grace stopped a few meters short of Quaritch's quarters. They were located in the floor above the scientist's quarters and with the help of some directions they hadn't been that hard to find. It still had taken her some time to get there because she was in no particular hurry.

Although his doors weren't different from her own she found them threatening and menacing. They seemed to glare at her and reminded her of what was about to happen.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and then another one in order to calm down. She felt sweat on her palms and clenched her hands into fists to get rid of it. When that didn't help she wiped them on her trousers.

"Alright, this is it," she finally murmured to herself. She couldn't delay this infinitely and the longer she stood there the more uncomfortable she got.

In a bold move she stepped forward and pressed the buzzer.

The sound she had made reverberated behind the door and Grace let go of a last sigh. She leaned on the wall the second before the doors moved aside with the same hissing sound as hers. The moments had seemed like eternity and she could already feel the sweat returning to her hands.

Quaritch stood in the doorframe and looked her over. He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, which were surprisingly unmilitary.

"So good of you to come, Dr. Augustine."

He didn't give the impression that he was overly surprised to see her.

Without returning his greetings she entered his quarters.

It was a prosaic, military room and everything was arranged efficiently. In contrast to her current mess everything was tidy and clean, almost cold.

A faintly remembered conversation of two marines she had overheard in the mess hall came to her mind. Their topic had been the colonel and one of them had remarked with a humorous undertone that 'Quaritch was never surprised and he had a lot of guns'. So much was true, certainly.

The only decoration, it seemed, were guns in several sizes and calibers hanging on the walls.

Grace had no doubt that each of them was fully functional.

She furthermore couldn't help but notice the chess board on the table at the other side of the room.

The party was almost over and it was obvious that the black chessmen were about to win in two or three moves. The white queen was knocked over. If reality had taken a liking in irony it definitely was mocking her today.

She turned around to face her opponent.

In a casual manner Quaritch had walked away from the doors after they had closed behind her. He eyed her like a predator eyed his prey.

_Stupid metaphors!_

"Here I am," she eventually managed to say, quite stating the obvious.

"I knew you were sensible. I hadn't expected anything else from an intelligent woman like you. You won't regret it."

"We shall see…"

She realized that she had begun shivering and shifted her position a little, so he wouldn't see it. "So what do you want me to do?"

She dreaded each and every one of these words and when she uttered them it didn't feel as if they had come out of her mouth.

This whole thing was about dominance and submission and she loathed her part in it. She wasn't the submissive type. The fact that this was probably the reason why Quaritch had chosen her didn't help her to feel better.

He began circling her.

"One thing at a time. You barely arrived."

She crossed her arms before her chest and glared at him.

"Can't we just get it over with? I'm here, isn't that what you wanted?"

He stopped his pacing and faced her.

* * *

She was very tall, only a few centimeters shorter than he was which meant that their faces were almost on the same level.

Her size had impressed him from the start since he knew that it could – if used rightly – be a very intimidating feature. He had used his own size to his advantage several times himself, although here on Pandora it didn't mean as much as on earth. Compared to the average Na'Vi he was still small and had to rely on technological help to appear more impressive. For human standards however, and for a female Grace Augustine managed the same without effort and without even intending it.

She was also only slightly older than he was, but still attractive in a mature kind of way. He especially liked her long legs although her current clothes didn't emphasize them.

At the moment she watched him suspiciously; uncertain about what was to happen. She was frightened, but she held herself together pretty well, he had to give her that. Somehow her behavior surprised him.

He had expected her to be more emotional in any kind of way, but she stayed exceptionally calm.

"Yes," he finally answered. He came one step closer looking her directly in the eye. She didn't avoid his gaze. "Yes, that's what I wanted. But why the rush? As I understand it you have no other appointments. Or have you?"

* * *

Grace shook her head and her red curls bounced by the sudden movement. Her alcohol bottle popped into her mind, but she tried to avoid this thought. It was too ridiculous. Tension built up in her.

She knew why she was here and the colonel knew it, too. Why did he have to delay the inevitable?  
She wanted him to make the first move, wanted to see how far he would go, if he needed to show initiative. But she also didn't want to stay here longer than necessary. All the weapons he had on display disturbed her. They reminded her of what he was capable of doing.

He stood only a few centimeters away from her, like he had done the other evening.

When she didn't turn away from his stare, he chuckled before he broke the eye-contact himself.

"Something to drink?"

_What?_

"No, thanks."

"Alright. Nobody should say I am a bad host."

Grace found herself staring at Quaritch in disbelief.

_He can't be serious! He goddamn can't be serious!_

Before he could have a chance to notice her surprise she turned away. She didn't want to admit that he was still able to catch her off guard.

"No, I'm fine…" she added after a few seconds. She felt like she had to answer at least something.

"As you wish." He walked slowly to the table where he had prepared two glasses and a bottle of a clear liquid Grace could not identify. "But I hope you don't mind if I take some?"

"No, not at all…"

He poured something of the liquid in one of the glasses and took a large sip before he put it back on the table.

Grace watched him, unable to move or say anything.

"Why don't you sit down?" he asked her after a while.

"Yeah, thanks…" she murmured and moved slowly towards the couch, which was located next to the table.

Awkwardly she took a seat, uneasily waiting for his next step.

He kept standing until she was seated, took another sip out of his glass and then sat down next to her.

"You sure, you don't want anything?"

"Yes." She felt that she was answering quite monosyllabically by now.

He nodded.

"Alright."

After that there was a few minutes silence in which they looked at each other. Grace tried to make out what her counterpart was thinking.

Despite the fact that she hated him now more than ever she couldn't deny that he was quite attractive in a tough kind of way. His scars made him look like a rogue or like somebody who wasn't stopped by anything and his short hair added to that look. It was almost a pity that his face was hardened by his unscrupulousness, since it couldn't completely conceal a certain handsomeness. Unfortunately however his features didn't betray what he felt at this particular moment.

Finally he broke the silence when he reached out and stroked her hair.

"You're beautiful."

She didn't know and definitely didn't expect that he was capable of civilized conversation, but she appreciated it. It was undeniably better than the alternative, so she decided to play along.

"Thank you", she replied as detached as possible.

He sat back; obviously content just watching her, and a casual observer probably would have mistaken them for friends. But after a few moments Grace felt like she had to say something.

"Is that all you were going to do? Sitting there, ogling me?"

He smiled one of his very rare smiles.

"Maybe. But I simply thought we could talk a little." He paused. "How is your work? You rarely seem to do anything else."

She was surprised. That man blackmailed her, brought her to his quarters, just to talk about work he neither did understand nor cared about?

For a second she considered to brush his question off and give him a sort of standoffish answer instead, but then she decided otherwise.

"It could be better. We're lacking resources and people. So far we haven't indexed even an estimated hundredth of the planet's flora and fauna. And even if there are samples, it's not always easy to label them rightly. Many specimens seem interconnected and related in some kind of way. But how we don't know yet."

"I'm curious. On one of our scout trips I encountered these strange retreating mushroom things. What are they exactly?"

Did he really want to know details?

"It's kind of difficult. Earth's complete ecosystem never knew plants or fungi that could actually move. At least not in such speed. Of course we have growth and we have some sort of reaction from them as well, but nothing that matches these. We call them _Fungus Recedio_ or in your language "coward mushrooms".

"I kinda like that."

"So I figured."

"But what makes them move?"

She shrugged.

"We're still not entirely sure on that one. They certainly don't have muscles. Our probes confirm that they are indeed related to fungi specimen we know from earth, at least rudimentary. At the moment our best shot is that they are able to perform similar processes like the ones we already know, but so much faster. Maybe their size helps with that. Another possibility is that they form a symbiosis with another life form we haven't been able to discover and another one that this reaction is controlled by electrical charges of some kind. But as I said, we still lack the data to explain the phenomenon."

"Which approach do _you_ personally favor?"

She hesitated, still unsure what was happening. Talking about her work was not particularly hard and she felt that it made her relax a little. But of course it didn't eliminate her knowledge about her _real_ being here. Still she would continue to answer as long as he asked.

"The theory that seems most plausible in my eyes is the one about an accelerated metabolism. Those fungi don't seem that much different from the ones we know, except that they grow in a different environment where they need to escape animals that can become dangerous to them."

"I see. You put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?"

"It's one of the riddles I currently am trying to solve, yes. But I dunno if my thesis will hold in the end."

"Are those coward mushrooms poisonous by any chance?"

"Depends on what kind of creature you are. They don't seem to be poisonous to Na'Vi provided one is fast enough to catch them, but I wouldn't recommend eating them to any human. At least not until we have finished analyzing them. Then we can positively tell whether they are edible by humans as well."

"Or not."

"Or not, that's right."

"Another thing that puzzles me almost as much as these mushrooms were those little jellyfish-like things that are floating in the air. What are those? Are they plants or animals?"

"You mean those things similar to dandelion seed?"

"Yes. We have encountered them very frequently. Although it looks like they float with a random pattern they have never touched me or my people, which made me wonder whether they are sentient and potentially dangerous?"

"I know exactly what you are talking about, but I cannot give you a definite answer to this question. These things are puzzling us as well. But I believe it can safely be assumed that they are not dangerous."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"You seem to see a threat in everything, don't you?"

"It's my job. And besides so far Pandora hasn't convinced me otherwise."

Grace sighed. She held back a sharp reply, because she felt it useless to discuss this matter with him again.

"What makes me so sure? I would say they haven't tried to attack anybody so far. They avoid humans. They run away if you will. That doesn't qualify as threatening for me."

"We'll see, won't we? But you still haven't answered what they are then?"

"I don't know. Nobody has been able to collect one. We can only hypothesize."

"Then you should do so."

"If I were to extrapolate information depending on the readings and observations on these things I wouldn't say they are sentient, or let's say intelligent. That they avoid humans might have to do with something emanating from our bodies like warmth, a smell or maybe even an electrical charge as well. They seem like a hybrid between plant and animal, but unfortunately I cannot tell you more. All of this is highly speculative anyway. We call them _Levitata_ in want of a better name."

"You give these things quite interesting names."

"It's an old science tradition that the nomenclature shall be in Latin. But since many plants and creatures on this planet are not related to anything we know from earth we need to start from scratch again, because the old categories do not fit anymore. It is certainly a challenge."

"I can imagine that. Although collecting plants and observing animals is only a small part of your job. I was wondering how the Avatar Project is going recently?"

Of course he would eventually go for that. It was the one thing that bore real relevance for him and his stupid marines.

"As if you don't know! To say the Na'Vi are pissed with us is a grave understatement. We haven't seen even one in weeks. At the moment we are trying to rectify past mistakes _some people_ have made. We still believe in a peaceful solution."

"Yes, I am aware of that. I still don't share your beliefs, though."

"No, you merely use them to your advantage."

"What can I say? We are both persons of principles. We both serve our cause."

"How does bringing me here 'serve your cause'?"

He smiled, but instead of an answer, he stroked her cheek and her neck before he placed a kiss on her lips.

His warmth, odor and closeness were almost unbearable and it took Grace a few seconds to adjust.

It was such an intimate gesture for her that it felt impossible to share it with someone who didn't deserve it. But she also knew what was at stake, thus she forced herself to comply. She tried to return the kiss and at the same time forgetting his hands on her body.

When he finally broke the kiss he placed another one on her cheek before he released her again.

Grace took a deep breath and tried to focus.

He had been surprisingly gentle and had done nothing to hurt her, but that was actually almost harder to bear as if he had been forceful and demanding. What he did made her body respond whether she wanted it or not.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds. All she wanted was to get out of there sooner than later. He was confusing her so much that she couldn't think straight anymore.

"Tell me," he said, pulling her out of her thoughts, "what was your motivation to come to a godforsaken rock like this in the first place?"

"It's a challenge. I'm a scientist, forgotten? Being curious is part of _my_ job."

Grace chose her words carefully. She still didn't know why he was suddenly so interested in talking to her and it made her uncomfortable. Furthermore she didn't want him to know anything about her past. Her old life was left behind on Earth; it shouldn't come up again on Pandora.

"How could I forget? The woman who wrote the book on this planet is sitting in front of me. The thing is actually quite useful and I can only recommend it to every newcomer."  
"That's not how I intended it."

"Still, we're working for the same company. They want us to share our knowledge and they make the rules. Mostly."

"Yeah, mostly." This time she couldn't hide her sarcasm.

Of course this little fact had also worked in her favor when she was able to convince Selfridge of this and that, but at the moment it seemed that he was more in favor of Quaritch's approach. And the Colonel was happily exploiting this current stare of affairs.

_Great, just great!_

He reached out to embrace her and pulled her closer until their bodies touched. Then he kissed her again while stroking her back and her arms.

This time Grace had less trouble returning the kiss. It didn't come natural, but she was able to subdue her disgust in an attempt of self-preservation.

She closed her eyes and simply let it happen.

For quite some time he seemed satisfied with holding her in his arms and give her his occasional caress. He had yet more questions to ask and Grace tried her best to answer them without being impolite, but also without giving away too much of a personal nature. He seemed sincerely interested in her.

His touches were slowly becoming more intense and demanding between his questions and the conversation he maintained. It was getting later and later, but so far he hadn't made any real indication to go any further.

She didn't know what sick game he was playing, but she felt that the only way to get out of there soon was to take the initiative herself. Since she firmly believed that it would be finally coming to this anyway she decided against her own reluctance to speed things up a little. When he was kissing her again she got up and placed herself astride on his lap without breaking the kiss. She was now facing him.

_My God what am I doing here?_

He seemed genuinely surprised by her bold move, but she hoped he wouldn't take it as a sign that she actually liked it. At that moment she was glad that he hadn't used any violence against her and that everything he had done had been bearable. But no matter what, there was no way around being humiliated in the end. She only wanted to go home. Get away from him.

_It doesn't matter! Give him what he wants…_

When he broke the kiss she looked him in the eye and began unbuttoning her white blouse. She could see the want in his gaze and the way he followed her movements. She hadn't done this in quite some time for somebody else, but she still managed to do it skillfully without looking. When she had finished he took his hands from her hip where he had put them and smiled.

But to her great astonishment he didn't remove the blouse from her body. He buttoned it up again.

It was not that he didn't want her – on the contrary, his arousal was quite obvious.

"What are you doing? Isn't that what I'm here for?" she eventually managed to say.

He shook his head.

"Why are you in such a hurry? It's our first date."

"But I thought… Ah, never mind." It was hard for her to hide her frustration.

"Is that who you think I am?"

"I don't think you want an honest opinion on that…"

He chuckled.

"Maybe not. But the fact remains – I'm _not_ sleeping with you tonight."

"Alright, that's fine with me."

Slowly she rose from his lap, glad to get away from him. "If you don't, I guess I'm done here for tonight…"

She wanted to head for the door.

"No you're not. You're done here, when I tell you so."

Here it was again – the menacing undertone, which had been so strangely absent the whole evening.

She stopped and turned around to look at him. Desperation overcame her.

The way he had treated her since the moment she had entered his quarters obviously betrayed more than pure sexual interest; and his initial answer he had given her that night was coming back into her mind.

_You!_

He wanted more than simply her body; he wanted to have a twisted sort of relationship with her. Why else would he go through with such an elaborate scheme? He could have raped her all along and still threatened to kill the Na'Vi if she said something. It was too obvious!

It was her as a person that he wanted, with everything she had to offer.

To sell her body was one thing – to sell her whole being quite another.

She lifted her arms in complete and utter resignation.

"Okay, fine. You made your point."

"Good. Then sit down again. Oh, and by the way I want you to stay for the night."


	5. In the darkest hours

Hey there! I'm sorry that it took me this long to update again. But here's the good news: I haven't abandoned the story and currently I'm not planning to do so. It's just that several things came together at once.

First of all: Grace ran off with me. She did what she wanted while writing and I had to put up and find a way to pick up where she left me. Furthermore university started two weeks ago and they buried me in a load of work. This isn't going to change over the next weeks, but I do what I can. Sorry. I hope the chapter is worth it.

* * *

**Chapter 5 - In the darkest hours…**

When Quaritch woke her, Grace felt terrible. Her whole body was aching and she didn't feel particularly rested.

It had been a horrible night.

Strangely enough the colonel had kept his word and hadn't touched her, but she had stayed awake nevertheless. Somehow she had always anticipated it to happen and when it hadn't she was still too full of adrenaline to immediately drop off. Most of the night she had lain next to him, too stressed to make the slightest move. She had listened to his breathing and felt his warmth and had tried to think of something else.

Although he had seemed fast asleep she hadn't dared to leave his quarters clandestinely. He wouldn't have taken lightly to this, she feared. Thus she had endured lying next to him and had counted on the passage of time.

Finally she must have fallen asleep as well, since a hand on her shoulder pulled her back to reality.

When she opened her eyes it took her a few seconds to remember and one glance at the clock told her she had overslept.

_It wasn't a dream!_

"Good morning, Doctor!" The sound of Quaritch's voice rang in her ears while she tried to sit up. Dozily she brushed her hair out of her face and forced herself to look at him.

He appeared as if he was perfectly rested. On top of that he was already fully dressed and he smelled like he had taken a shower, which made it on the one hand easier for her to forget his nightly appearance, but on the other hand it reminded her of how much he was in control of the situation.

"Morning," she replied out of the necessity to say something.

He came nearer and stroked her hair.

"I hope you had a good night."

"No. Not really."

"What a shame. But maybe you'll learn in time."

She glared at him, but didn't reply. She didn't even want to think of future encounters with him. Instead she finally got up and started collecting her clothes, which she had hung over a chair. She hadn't been able to bring herself to sleep in them, besides he had "kindly" asked her to remove them. Thus she had gone to bed in her underwear.

Under his watchful eyes she put the clothes back on.

"Do you want breakfast?" he asked after she had finished. She could see that he had already prepared a whole meal on the table at the other end of the room. The smell of fresh toast and bacon and eggs was undeniable and there also seemed to be a pot of hot coffee.

"Thank you. But no." She answered with a glance at the table. She usually never ate breakfast and if she did she wouldn't do it with him if she could help it. She could have done with a cigarette however. Besides what she really wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Then you should go to work." It didn't seem to surprise him that she declined and he made no indication of holding her back.

"Yeah." She started heading for the door.

"See you later!" he added with an ambiguous undertone in his voice before she had reached the exit.

Without turning back again she left his quarters. Eventually.

As soon as she was standing in the hallway she let herself fall with the back against one of the walls and closed her eyes.

Her whole body was trembling because of everything that had happened, made worse by her lack of sleep. She had expected to be humiliated, but not in the way it had actually occurred.

_Get a grip on yourself!_

She shook her head and got away from the wall. Before she went to the lab she needed go to her quarters and take a shower and maybe a cup of coffee. It was true, she was late, but she didn't want to go to the lab right away. There was almost certainly a pretty haunted look on her face and her colleagues shouldn't see her like that. She needed the change of clothes and the opportunity to freshen up.

When Grace finally entered her workplace she was surprised by how late she really was. The omnipresent watches told her this as much as the startled faces of her fellow scientists.

She was determined that this shouldn't ever happen again. One way or another she had to make sure. It annoyed her that Quaritch had been able to detain her that long.

His order to stay for the night – she refused to call it request – had come as a complete surprise, which had made it impossible for her to plan ahead in any way. Everything was messed up.

_Naturally!_

She felt that she owed her colleagues an explanation, since they continued looking at her. Thus she lifted her arms in an apologetic gesture.

"Sorry that I didn't make it in time. I had a very late night."

This wasn't even a lie and their sympathetic faces showed her that they understood.

"Well, let's get started!" She looked around. "What I need now are the reports and of course a cup of coffee."

She heard an amused murmur among the scientists and relaxed a little. At least here everything was okay. They trusted her and they did their work. In here she was in control.

Slowly she walked over to her working station, but before she could reach it, Max already approached her with a datapad in his hand.

"These are the reports you requested, Dr. Augustine. The coffee should be ready in a minute."

She smiled and took the pad out of hands.

"Thank you, Max. Anything unusual?"

"Not that I'm aware of, but you can look for yourself. Most analyses are still pending or they didn't reveal anything new, but I finished the research on the samples you told me."

She suppressed a sigh.

"Thanks again. I really appreciate that. Got anything special there?"

"Yes and no. They are rather unusual, but compared to everything on Pandora they are not. I found out that they glow at night, but only when they are touched by something alive."

She nodded.

"I remember them glowing, that's why we took them in the first place."

"Yes, right. But as I said, they need living tissue in order to do so. Touching them with metal or wood or anything else doesn't have any effect."

"Any idea why this is the case?"

Now it was his turn to smile broadly.

"It seems to support your theory that everything in this forest is interconnected somehow. After we had removed them from their soil, they lost their ability to glow, although we kept the roots intact. When we put them back to the earth however they regained it again. It looks like they react on body capacitance emitted by humanoids and animals, similar to touch-sensitive lamps."

"Really? This is fascinating. Good work! But don't forget, even if this supports my theory it's still only a theory at the moment."

She patted him on the shoulder in appreciation.

"Of course, but so far it's the most plausible one. Isn't it interesting that plants develop, which are so obviously useful? They serve as an illumination at night, helping any inhabitant of the forest to find the way. Almost as if they were designed to do so."

"No premature conclusions, Max."

"Right."

Both of them were grinning now and for a moment Grace could forget the horror that has come into her life.

Somebody had put a cup of steaming coffee on her desk while she was busy talking with her fellow colleague. Absentmindedly she seized it and took a small sip and skipped through the report Max had given her.

"I'd like to take the Avatar Unit today," she finally said after a moment of silence. "I see here that they are finally finished with the new upgrades and I want to test the unit before we go out into the forest again collecting samples."

"That might be a good idea. Shall I tell the others that you plan a test run?"

"Please."

And I want to be alone!

"Sounds good. I will make the necessary preparations."

He turned away and Grace finished reading the report.

Freedom!

The dewy grass under her bare feet felt refreshing and new and the sunlight on her face held the promise of liberty. As a Na'Vi Grace wore fewer clothes than in her human form, but here it felt right.

The Na'Vi were made for this environment and possessing a similar body like them increased every sensation in various contacts with the Pandoran ecosystem.

On normal scout trips they were of course wearing shoes, but inside the fences of Hell's Gate Grace tried to avoid them.

It was a more intense encounter that way and this was what all her research was all about in the end: to experience life on Pandora first-hand.

She inhaled the air while she was running, concentrating only on the moment, feeling her feet touching the ground only to be lifted in the up again after a few milliseconds, bushes and plants flying past her. The movement allowed her to test movement and reaction in her fingers and toes. In addition it simply felt great.

Her colleagues were waiting for her to have finished this "test run", but she didn't care if she took her time. She would tell them soon enough. Now she needed to be alone in this fresh, unspoiled body taking in everything around her with her sharpened senses.

Quaritch would never be able to take that away from her. **Although he had been pretty close once.**

As a Na'Vi she was free from him and she knew quite well that the Avatar project was her only opportunity to rid herself from his blackmailing forever.

But this meant that she needed results to convince Selfridge to continue with diplomacy without straining his patience. The current situation simply favored the military approach Quaritch would surely provide without hesitating.

Dammit, she desperately needed to restore contact with the planet's natives again, but they had lost all their trust in the "Sky People", barely showing themselves now.

Probably the upgrades on the Avatar units could help her on this mission, but she counted more on the supply ship. Until then she needed to stall time.

She finally stopped when she reached the compound's fence, avoiding to touch it, as it was electrically charged. What would have been a straining exercise for her aging human body was nothing for her in this form – she barely had to pant.

The new installations hadn't been with the Avatar bodies, but with the Connector Units that allowed safe body transfer. There was nothing that could be done to improve these bodies at the moment. Apart from small details they were a perfect imitation of the Na'Vi, meaning that they fulfilled their purpose. The improvements on the Connectors however should allow for a continuous use of the Avatar bodies for a longer period of time than before.

For testing reasons the alterations had been installed on only one Connector Unit at the moment, because it was impossible to say if they had any negative effect on the use of the remote controlled bodies. If no side effects were discovered all the other units would be supplied with the upgrade as well.

Grace still was glad that the development hadn't taken longer. They had had all the needed resources right at hand from the beginning, but there had been some funding quarrels she had had with Selfridge over the necessities of these upgrades. Apart from that however she had not much to do with this, as she was no technician. At least it was finished now and so far she hadn't discovered any flaws.

Before she returned to her fellow scientists in order to report her experiences she could not resist the urge to close her eyes, spread her arms and spin around a few times, making her black beads fly through the momentum.

It was silly, but it was also very liberating and a smile crept on her face. For the first time in days she felt happy again. She knew it couldn't last, but she tried to make the moment count. Besides it was a good thing to know that she could now stay longer in this form than before. She enjoyed her solitude for several minutes more, before she sprinted back to her colleagues in order to report.

A young physician named Carter looked at her expectantly when she arrived, since he was in charge of monitoring her vital signs.

"And?"

Grace grinned broadly, unable to hide her satisfaction.

"I didn't experience any difficulties with my motor skills. It seems to be working, Doctor. Reflexes were alright and there was no delay between movement and brain signals."

"That's what my monitor says, too. But before we can be sure, we have to do further tests. Checking reflexes, hand-eye-coordination, your audiovisuals, that kind of stuff…"

"By all means. We should also account for prolonged use. Maybe side effects will only become noticeable after several hours in this body. Furthermore, I want all other Avatar units to be tested as well, before we finally implement these upgrades. We can't afford to take risks."

"We already prepared for testing the effects on prolonged exposure. Maybe you could try to stay longer in the Avatar than the old maximum."

"Twelve Hours should be enough, I don't want to push it too far over the ten-hour-limit."

"Understood. I think that we can finish all necessary tests in this time."

"Then let's start!"

It was late in the evening when the examination of Grace's Avatar was concluded. The whole exercise had been an exhausting experience and it was all the more straining, now that she had to return to her real and overtired body. The first thing she demanded was a cigarette of course. She often needed them, when coming back from her adventures with the second body, but today she needed it even more.

_What a day!_

The test run however had been a complete success. She had performed above average in almost all tests and that hadn't changed when she used the Avatar over the extended time period. This was a promising start and she hoped her colleagues would achieve the same results when testing their Avatars. There were still possibilities for glitches, and she was very well aware of that

The next days would tell, but she was rather confident, that everything would work out in the end. She had had her streak of bad luck, it could only get better.

While she got down from the modified Connector unit, she could see the hope in the eyes of her team as well.

She took a drag of her cigarette and looked at them.

"I wanted to thank you all for your efforts today and I am pleased to say that we are making progress. As you might have heard all tests on the upgrades were successful. I don't want to raise false hopes, but I'd say that's a very good start."

The clapping of many hands was the response and although she knew that it would be hard to live up to these expectations it felt good.

"Thank you. We still have a long way to go, but our work just might have gotten easier."

Notwithstanding the fact that some idiots had made it harder on purpose in the first place.

With the successes of this day in mind Grace returned to her desk. The workday was over, but she felt like she wanted to stay as long as possible. Outside the lab she certainly would encounter Quaritch in one form or another. She was quite sure that she hadn't heard the last of him, that last evening was in fact only the beginning. Although her first intimate encounter with him had been in this very laboratory she felt safer while staying here, especially when her colleagues were still around. This was her territory.

It was not until the scientific department called it a day, that she returned to her quarters as well.

The moment the doors closed behind her, she didn't feel so exhausted any more, partly because this day had given her a sense of achievement.

She was in high spirits again and optimistic that everything would turn alright one way or another. She had earned and needed it.

On her way to the bathroom she already slipped out of her current blouse and let it fall next to a heap of other clothes. She sighed and tried to ignore it – maybe she was in the mood to do something about the mess in the room the next day.

She took her time in the bathroom, enjoying the quiet and the time she had for herself. In order to be more comfortable she finally changed the rest of her everyday clothes for the white shirt she used to sleep in. Of course she also possessed some pajamas, but at the moment she preferred this simple shirt over them. It was good to wear and it fulfilled its purpose. She didn't close all its buttons before she thoughtfully turned away from the mirror, in front of which she had stood for quite some time.

She looked tired, true enough, but not nearly as freaked out as she had looked this morning, which was reassuring.

"I'll manage." Upon exiting the bathroom her gaze fell on the photograph that stood on her night table. She felt a pang in her heart, the moment she saw it. But she also knew then that she already had felt worse.

Quaritch was only a mean-spirited person, who needed constant reassurance that he still had power. She still didn't fear him; the only thing she feared was that he might hurt innocents. However, and she had to admit that to herself, she had no real clue as to what was to expect from him next. And he certainly made her nervous. But there was no way he could actually hurt her. She had experienced hurt years ago.

She turned away from the image and walked over to her table, where she poured herself a glass of vodka she intended to down, before she went to bed.

At that moment her doorbell rang.

She put the bottle and glass back where they belonged and stared at the door. There were no visitors she expected and even fewer visitors she wanted to see. Actually, there was only one person she suspected of standing outside her quarters.

For a moment she contemplated ignoring the bell, but she knew that he knew that she was home.

Sadly she shook her head.

"No," she murmured before opening.

"Good evening, Doctor!"

"Colonel?" She tried to be as formal as possible, still not believing the sight of Miles Quaritch in front of her quarters, this time in battle dress uniform, but with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"I heard that your tests today had been a full success. I thought we should celebrate this."

Before she could answer something he stepped into her quarters. He looked around and finally put his bottle and glasses next to the ones which belonged to Grace.

Still in disbelief she closed the door again and turned around, meeting his gaze. She noticed him eyeing her appearance and she swore to herself to sleep in pajamas from now on. Suddenly she felt as if she were naked.

"I… uhm… Actually I wanted to go to bed. I didn't sleep very well, you know. Besides we don't know if the upgrades live up to our expectations."

"I see. You have a point here. But maybe you'd want to share a glass with me anyway, now that I'm here?"

"Not really. I'm not into that kind of thing."

He pulled up one eyebrow and eyed her bottle of vodka suspiciously.

"Doesn't look that way to me. From what I've heard, you're very much into that kind of thing. Maybe too much."

"Not your goddamn business."

"As long as it doesn't affect security… and our little relationship, I mostly concur."

As if he needed to demonstrate what he had meant he walked up on her and kissed her on the cheek. Then he continued.

"Still, I find it interesting that you would say something like that."

She shrugged.

"Think what you will. I don't need to explain myself to anybody."

"True enough. And I won't ask it from you."

He turned away and sat down on the couch, moving things aside, which had lain there before. He leaned back and watched her intently, almost as if he drank in her appearance.

"Sit down, please."

Grace sighed. These were still her quarters, but since she didn't know what else to do she obeyed.

After she had done this, he took his bottle of wine, opened it and filled his two glasses. Then he put the bottle back, picked up one glass and handed it to Grace.

"Here, let's drink to new upgrades!"

She took the wine glass from him, but she didn't put it on her mouth.

"Why? So can get me drunk, which makes it easier for you to have your way with me? I already said I don't want it."

She put it back on the table.

Without saying anything he gently took her hand and led it back to the glass.

"I don't want you drunk, my dear. I simply want to celebrate your success."

_And thus ruining it for me…_

Under his watchful eye they clinked glasses, then she tentatively took a sip. It was only then that he took up his own glass and drank as well.

The wine tasted better than Grace expected and although she would never admit it, it really didn't matter whether she had taken the vodka then or the wine now. Slowly she put the glass down after she had finished.

Quaritch nodded approvingly.

"See, it wasn't so bad…"

Grace snorted.

"I definitely had worse, no doubt about that."

"Oh, I would hope so. I would never offer you something cheap."

"I already feel much better."

He ignored her latest comment and leaned forward to kiss her cheek and then trailed down her neckline. But then he stopped.

"I forgot. You had a hard day. Go to sleep now, there is no rush." With that he stood up and gathered his bottle and glasses.

Grace got up as well, but didn't know what to reply. Instead she watched him go to the door. He was almost outside when he turned back for a last time.

"By the way… nice legs."


	6. A Promise to Keep Part 1

Hi everyone. The sad truth is, university is really eating me. I try to write every day, but sometimes the words just don't come, especially when writing in a language that is not your first language. So please don't worry: I will update eventually. If I ever chose to drop the story, I will certainly let you know. In order to not let you wait longer, I decided to split the chapter. Here is part 1 - part 2 is extremely difficult to write and I'm a bit stuck. But don't worry: my ever-vigilant beta will force me into completing this. :) Just bear with me. And - have fun...

* * *

**Chapter 6 **

**A promise to keep… Part 1  
**

The pillow crashed against the wall and fell down on the floor. It was followed by another one and then a datapad and some other items of everyday use.

"That bastard! That son of a bitch!"

Grace panted and sweat ran down her forehead, but she didn't mind. Instead she picked up one of the pillows and hit the wall with it repeatedly. She knew that she was behaving childishly, but she saw no other alternative to vent her aggressions.

She didn't want to attack her fellow scientists or treat them badly for something that wasn't their fault and she couldn't turn on _the_ one source of her grievance without losing everything she had suffered for. Thus she released her anger on the inventory of her quarters in the hope that it helped her regain her composure.

She was positively surprised how robust these things were. Despite the fact that they had suffered several crashes with the wall, they still seemed to be in working order. Only one of her datapads had received a small crack on its display, but she didn't care, especially since it was still functional.

She let out several cries while hitting the wall with the pillow, repeating the exercise until she was totally exhausted. When she had enough she leaned against the wall and let herself sink to the floor, the pillow on her lap. She moved her arms around her legs and put her head on her knees. Then she closed her eyes.

It was no use! She didn't feel better.

Although nothing had happened so far, she felt that her situation with Quaritch hadn't improved. He had mostly left her alone for the last couple of days, but that did nothing to put her at ease. With each day she didn't hear from him, the likelihood of fulfilling one of his sick demands increased. There was no way in hell that he would leave her alone. Not after what had happened.

She suspected that his strange absence had to with the fact that today was the monthly RDA meeting. Normally these meetings served as an opportunity to exchange status reports on the mining operations and discuss their further course of action. But the fact that she and her scientists couldn't present any real success with the Na'Vi natives for months now, seemed to make Selfridge nervous. That was nothing new, of course, since this fact gave Quaritch the means to blackmail her in the first place. However, with this meeting, Grace would find out, if he intended to keep _his_ end of the bargain.

As he could be very erratic in his actions there was no way to be sure beforehand. And this made her worry, although she very well knew that this probably was exactly what he wanted to achieve.

_Bastard!_

If he didn't keep his word, she would be free from him, but only at the cost of probably hundreds of innocent lives. There was no way for her to anticipate how he would react in the meeting today, let alone prevent him from convincing Selfridge to try a military solution, if he chose to do so. The best she could do was to prepare herself accordingly. She needed to appear as sincere as possible, presenting her arguments in a well-structured way, just in case. This meant that she would put a bit more emphasis on her outward appearance than usually. The last decision lay with Selfridge and if that were a good thing was pretty uncertain, but whatever happened, she had to behave like a professional.

Slowly she got up. It was time to get dressed and she didn't want to be late, especially since she wasn't used to putting on makeup anymore.

In midst of her preparations the bell on her door rang. She sighed and put down the eyeliner she was using right now. She really didn't want to open, especially since she could only imagine one person standing outside. He hadn't shown up the whole week. Why did he need to bother her _now_ of all times? But then she reminded herself of what was at stake and she went to the door.

The more surprised she was when she saw Dr. Anna Jameson, one of her teams' xenolinguists standing outside. The woman seemed rather nervous and in a great hurry. Grace shook her head in an amused fashion and secretly scolded herself for her paranoia. Not behind every corner lurked a certain colonel determined to molest her.

"What can I do for you?"

"Sorry to bother you a few hours before the meeting, Doctor, but I wanted to ask you some final questions about my part of the presentation. You made it rather clear, that we probably have to fight for our cause and I don't want to screw it in any way." She smiled weakly and added, "Especially since it is my first time to take part in one of those meetings and you seem to have a great deal of experience."

Jameson was one of the newer scientists to have started work in Hell's Gate, although she already was with them for a year or so. She had worked with the Na'Vi language since university and recently had found out some rather interesting things that were worth mentioning. Grace had decided to bring her along even before the whole trouble with Quaritch had started. Even if he tried to break his word, Jameson's findings probably could turn the tide anyway. No wonder she was nervous.

Grace gave her colleague a reassuring nod. It was good to see how she and her team stuck together. Maybe not everything was lost.

"I find your results most impressive and I am glad that you could come up with them when you did. Maybe you should especially focus on the fact that there might have been some communicational differences based on a deeply rooted misunderstanding, because this shows that there is a very real prospect of a peaceful solution. And please don't hide anything important in order to throw it in later. This makes you look like a liar. Tell them everything in a very basic fashion, but don't hesitate to add some bits and pieces later on in order to make your argument more convincing. Basically, don't do anything that goes against common sense, but I guess you remember this from university."

The linguist nodded. "That's true, although my last presentation was a little while back. And then nothing was at stake."

"Don't worry, it will be alright." That probably was a lie, but Grace saw no need to increase the nervousness the woman already had.

"Thank you."

Since there were no other questions the two women parted to reconvene later and Grace returned to the bathroom. She was almost finished when the doorbell rang again.

_What a busy morning!_

Her colleagues were probably as nervous as she were and she was wondering what the question would be this time.

When she opened the door it took her several milliseconds to realize what was happening. Apparently she wasn't as paranoid as she had thought to be. Although she hadn't expected him this time, it made sense that he would turn up sooner or later. Obviously later…

"What's the matter, Doctor? Unhappy to see me?"

"I can't say I'm particularly happy. What do you want?"

"I thought we could walk to the conference together. As it happens, we have the same way. But I can see you aren't finished. You scientists somehow seem to fail the concept of punctuality!"

"The last time I checked, there was still plenty of time. Why don't you go ahead and let me finish?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay and watch you."

"Let me guess, even if I _did_ mind, you'd stay anyway."

He walked to the couch and sat down, without answering to her comment. However several seconds later he added as nonchalantly as possible: "If I were you, I'd watch my tongue. You don't know what could happen on a day like this."

"Oh, I know."

"Good."

A quick look in the mirror told Grace that she was looking decent enough, although she was interrupted without having finished. She couldn't bring herself to continue applying makeup when Quaritch was watching her, thus she decided to leave it at that.

"You should do this more often, you know. It's a nice change from your ragged scientist look."

"I _do_ it more often, on each of these meetings to be precise. As you choose to wear your dress uniform. I guess we both know when to dress up a little."

"My uniform however cannot compete with your female charms."

She snorted. "I want to know when they have ever helped me. Certainly not here and certainly not with Selfridge."

"Don't be so sure about that…"

"Believe me; right now I'm not sure about anything."

He stood up and went for the door.

"Good. Then it is as it should be." He turned to her. "We should go, if we don't want to be late."

Reluctantly and a bit confused she followed him.


	7. A Promise to Keep Part 2

Hey, it's me again! In order for you not to wait too long I give you part 2 of 3 of chapter 6. I hope you enjoy. It was very tough to write.

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**Chapter 6 **

**A promise to keep… Part 2  
**

When Grace and the colonel arrived at the meeting room Selfridge and two of his RDA accountants were already present, shuffling through notes and having several datapads before them. Next to them were the representatives of the unobtainium miners together with two geologists, whose job it was to assess the area and find bigger deposits of the valuable ore whenever possible. According to their reports of the last months Grace didn't expect too much support from them. Anna Jameson sat at the far end of the table, staring at her pad with presentation sketches and giving the impression of a rather lonely figure. If Quaritch decided to go against his promise and introduced any attack plans, he most likely had the support of most of these people.

With Grace and the colonel now present, the colonel's two commanders-in-chief were still missing as well as Max and some technicians, but according to the clock they had roughly ten minutes left.

Grace seated herself between Jameson and Selfridge on the left side of the table, Quaritch took a seat opposite to her, looking very confident. His expression was unreadable and there was no way of knowing what he was up to. Grace closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

The battle was about to begin! The invisible battle she was fighting with her opponent without anybody noticing.

When the final attendants had arrived, Selfridge stood up, his palms firm on the table. After the usual introductory words and greetings he made clear that he wanted to hear from everybody what progress had been made since the last meeting. After his short introduction it was the geologist's turn. They explained in great detail their search for new unobtainium sources. It all came down to the fact that the biggest deposit of the valuable mineral in the vicinity was directly under the biggest Na'Vi settlement known. Thus there would be a confrontation sooner or later.

Reaching the mineral underground was still out of discussion, since it would take significantly longer to reach it, and thus was simply too expensive to try. Besides there were serious doubts if the huge tree standing above the deposit wouldn't in any way influence the tunnels and probably cause a cave-in, since the soil was unstable anyway. The question had come up repeatedly since RDA had occupied Pandora, but probable errors in management and false assumptions about the situation here had stopped them from attempting to deep mining and now it was too late without suffering huge losses.

One part of Grace was glad for that development, because it allowed her working with the Na'Vi, although nagging doubts remained if that attempt, had it been tried had spared them antagonizing the natives. She'd probably never know. What had been confirmed now, though, was the fact that the Na'Vi occupied exactly that space RDA wanted. She had already expected something like that, when looking at the mining developments of the last months, but now it was certain. From Selfridge's point of view, the aliens had to go. Either peacefully or forcefully. But soon.

After the geologists had finished their report, the representative of the miners gave a short overview over their progress. Seemingly the unobtainium deposits in the immediate vicinity of Hell's Gate were almost depleted by now, after several years of exploitation. This meant they had to go further into Na'Vi territory with every passing day and of course the natives didn't take lightly to that. The miner reported several incidents of attacks and damage on the machinery. Nothing serious, since the aliens still operated with bow and arrow, but it was a definite signal and woe to the person who dared to leave his or her mining machine! He or she was certain to be killed or at least badly wounded.

Grace sighed. She was torn between two points of view. Of course she could understand the miners in their need for protection and the security for the personnel was one of the key agendas to be discussed, but she could also understand the Na'Vi in their attempts to drive the humans off their planet. The question was who was to be driven off in the end.

She cast a quick glance at Quaritch, who had listened to the reports intently and with great interest. His mien didn't betray what he thought, but from earlier statements he had made and his whole behavior, she knew that he had no love for the Na'Vi. He would not hesitate to opt for the miners every day if he saw them in any real danger and only today Grace realized how little time she had left to make one last attempt to solve this diplomatically.

The situation had become way too complicated; mistakes had been made on both sides. It now took a miracle to solve this without bloodshed.

She was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't immediately realize when it was her turn.

_Great, just great! That's a good impression!_

When she did she hastily stood up and nodded at everyone, before taking a deep breath.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I sympathize with your situation and you are quite right if you don't want to risk your lives, if there is a way to avoid getting killed. Let me tell you: I have good news for you. The progress we've made in the past few weeks exceeds our expectations by far."

"Will any of your progress save us from attacks in the future?" one of the miners asked and Grace tried hard not to smile.

_Good question, thank you!_

"In the long run, yes." she answered. "The work with the new upgrades to our Avatar units went smoother than anticipated. And we are quite positive that we can reestablish diplomatic contact with the Na'Vi soon. Talking with them is still the most economical way, compared to a full-scaled attack."

_Money!_ That was the only way to get them.

She took one of her datapads and connected it with the room's projection screen. It immediately showed the schematics of the new upgrades. Before her presentation, Grace had taken her time to study them superficially. If there were more questions about the details, one of the technicians present would be able to answer them. That's why she had invited them.

"These upgrades have been installed recently to the Avatar units and they are very well worth their money, if I might add that. They basically enhance the experiences one has with the Avatar units and allow for prolonged use. If there are any questions about their mode of operation, I am sure Dr. Willowby and Dr. Michaels are glad to answer them."

The two technicians, one man and one woman nodded in agreement. Indeed several hands were raised and Grace yielded to them while they explained in full detail what the upgrades could and couldn't do. When there were no more questions about the upgrades she stood up again and continued.

"But that's not everything. As Dr. Jameson will tell you in a minute, we have some new findings about the Na'Vi language that could positively influence further negotiations."

"If there will be any…" somebody murmured, but Grace couldn't make out the voice. Whoever he was, he had a point. What use were the best theories if couldn't put them to use? She cleared her throat.

"Believe me, there _will_ be further negotiations. We are well prepared and ready."

That was an exaggeration beyond belief, but she saw no harm in making herself and her team look better than they actually were.

Some people nodded in agreement, others were not convinced and Quaritch didn't give away what he thought.

_Dammit, he promised._

Grace sat down and made room for Anna Jameson's presentation. The young woman explained her findings in great detail, but it basically came down to the fact that the Na'vi language had a double layer of semantics, a concept that was hard to grasp, if one didn't know any language that provided such a feature.

Again hands were raised.

"You're not talking in front of a university class, Doctor. What exactly do you mean by "a double layer of semantics"? Put it in plain simple English!" one of the miners demanded.

Jameson smiled politely.

"It simply means that every word has two meanings. One is obvious and the other one is hidden. Take for example the word tree. For us it means "wooden plant with leaves or needles" nothing more. But for the Na'Vi it also means something holy, untouchable. Many words are interwoven with a more metaphysical meaning and sometimes meanings we have no words for."

"And you found this out only now? After more than six years of research? It's not that we discovered the Na'Vi yesterday!" one of Quaritch's commanders-in-chief blurted out.

"A profound linguistic research needs a sound database and our linguistic database of Na'Vi is limited, since our only recordings are from the school sessions Dr. Augustine and her team gave years ago. Apart from the time I needed to prove my theory, I had to develop it in the first place. As far as I know there is no Earth language that exhibits such a feature, so I had nothing I could it compare with. But now I am absolutely sure and I am very confident that knowing about this will strengthen our position in any negotiation we undertake. It is very likely that they were inadvertently insulted by our proposals. We can now ensure that something like that will not happen again."

When Jameson had ended and answered all remaining questions, Grace got up again and finished her presentation.

"As you can see, we weren't idle. Having the ability to stay longer in our Avatar forms and being able avoid any unintended provocations I am quite confident to negotiate a treaty in due time. Bear with us a little longer. You won't regret it."

When there was nothing left to say, Grace took her seat again and exhaled almost inaudibly. She and her team had done what they could. Now the decision was out of her hands. She glanced towards the colonel, who remained passive and thoughtful. From earlier meetings Grace knew that this was now the time for him to make an assessment of the security situation, after having heard all the facts. And indeed Selfridge gave the floor to Quaritch.

In his usual self-confident manner, the colonel stood up and looked around. Maybe Grace imagined it, but she felt that his gaze rested longer on her than on the rest of the participants of today's meeting. When he started speaking there was nothing in his voice that betrayed anything about what was going on between him and her.

"I guess there is no need for me repeating what we all have heard. My job is your security and I fully intend to do this job."

Did he really pause for effect?

Grace was not sure if he did or if she simply thought he did, because she was so anxious to hear is final answer.

"In my opinion the scientists definitely have something going here and I believe there is no harm done in letting them work on this a while longer. The miners will of course receive continued escorts."

Only then Grace realized that she had been holding her breath. She released it.

"But…"

_But?_

"… I believe it is only reasonable to take some additional precautions since the situation we are dealing with still is of an uncertain outcome. I recommend that a scientific team should begin to work on the development of a chemical weapon against the Na'vi. Something comparable to tear gas, that will actually work on them considering their physiology."

Grace froze.

That treacherous bastard! Of course he would keep his promise, but not without a catch! Not without something he could rub her in the face. In her mind she jumped over the table at his throat – in reality she put on a frozen smile.

One look in Selfridge's face showed her that he had made up his mind. He would follow the colonel's suggestion. Yeah, it made sense, didn't it?

When she left the room after the meeting was over, she tried to conceal how beaten she felt. Quaritch went out with her, but moved slightly faster. When he overtook her he touched her ever so casually. For everybody else, this was just a coincidence, but she knew that it meant more.

She had gotten the message.


	8. A Promise to Keep Part 3

Hi guys and a big big sorry from me. I was in Norway for 4 weeks and had no opportunity whatsoever to continue writing. But now I'm back and with me the last part of chapter 6. It's not that much and I apologize, but at least the story continues. ;)

**Warning:** Slight adult content!

Have fun.

* * *

Light from a computer screen lit Grace's face. Although it was one of only a few sources of light in the whole laboratory she ignored the fact that her surroundings were so dimly lit. Today's meeting had set her back on so many levels and in order to fulfill the new requirements she had to work overtime.  
The colonel's demands for the development of a weapon against the Na'Vi not only forced her to change the way the scientific teams worked now, it also meant that they couldn't work on their original goal as efficiently as before. And to make this redeployment as smooth as possible while still stalling for time was not easy. She had already spent the whole evening on this, in addition to some other administrative tasks that now required her attendance.

It had already gotten late. Again. Although she had no interest in staying late in her lab after her first incident with the colonel there she was again. It was useless.  
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and although she had halfway expected this to happen she got scared anyway. It had come so suddenly.  
Instinctively she jolted backwards, almost falling from her chair, but got caught in the last moment. She didn't need to turn in order to know who it was visiting her, but when she did she found that the pale blue light from the computer screen illuminated Quaritch's face in a creepy way.

"What is it now?" she sighed after having regained her composure. "Don't you see that I'm already working on your demands?"

Silence was the only answer she got – and a stare from cold blue eyes.

Slowly he pulled her up from the chair so her eyes were on the same level as his and before she could say anything he caught her mouth in a demanding kiss.  
She closed her eyes and simply let it happen. The inevitable had been delayed for so long. It _had_ to happen sooner or later. It simply surprised her that he had chosen her lab as the place. Whatever – she had to go along with it.  
When he released her from the kiss she took a deep breath.

"Is this what you want? Here?"

Again he didn't reply and his face didn't show the slightest emotion. Instead he gently pushed her to the nearest wall. When she touched it with her back she felt the cool metal through the fabric of her clothing and suppressed a shiver. Part of her was scared like hell, but what was there to do? Again she tried to communicate with him without showing too much panic in her voice.

"What is wrong with you? Why can't you say a word?"

It didn't surprise her much, though, that there came no reply.  
She closed her eyes again and leaned her head back on the wall and waited. Whatever would happen now, it would pass. He should have his way. A sarcastic voice in her head added that the day was ruined anyway.

She felt the warmth of his body cornering her and she smelt him. It was a distinctive smell, not a bad one, clean, consisting of his aftershave and a little bit of himself.  
When he lowered his head to kiss her again there was even a part of her that wanted to respond. He took his time before he trailed down her cheeks and neckline and while he did this she suddenly felt him unbuttoning her jeans and soon after that his hand in her trousers. His other hand crept up her shirt and began to squeeze her breasts.  
She bit her lower lip in order to suppress a reaction while his hand kept wandering until it had found her most intimate spot. However when he began to caress her she had to gasp.  
Yes, it felt good! As a biologist she _knew_ what it was _supposed_ to feel good and goddammit he knew what he was doing. Nevertheless she couldn't get rid of the feeling that her body was betraying her by responding to his touches.

_Oh God, why is he doing this? Why?_

It was so good and so bad at the same time and there was no escape. Should she just give in to his caresses or should she resist? Hah! If resistance only would have been possible…

It seemed that she couldn't hide her reactions entirely, because he appeared to be learning what she liked and what she didn't like and he used that knowledge…

When she finally came, trembling and convulsing in his arms, she felt dirty and used. His face still betrayed no emotion, leaving her alone with these feelings.

She felt her knees weaken.

He took his hand out of her trousers and licked the finger he had used for something else just a few minutes ago. Then he turned around and left as silently as he had come.

Grace sank to the floor.


	9. The Hard Way Part 1

Gawd - these chapters are getting shorter and shorter, but they keep coming. I hope that it will be better in the future and that I can update more quickly, because the last stressful event in my life - namely moving to Ireland in order to study - is now over. It was a busy year. The good news is that this will probably improve my English and thus also this story. So bear with me - it has only just begun. :) Thanks for being patient with me so far.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - The hard way**

Sex with Miles Quaritch was not as horrible as Grace had expected. Of course there were several shades of "horrible". Although he made sure that he didn't hurt her physically, she still despised him and what he did with her. It was exactly therefore that she hated it that much: he made her body betray her on every possible occasion; he pretended that what was happening was consensual although it was definitely not and he knew it.

Technically what he did to her was nothing less than sexual assault, if not rape. But nobody would believe that without proof. She had no physical signs of sexual abuse and her mental wounds were invisible to outside observers. Her body was not showing all the things he had told her, all the threats he had her blackmailed with. And thus her body also didn't show any traces of non-consensual sexual intercourse.

And even if it did? She enjoyed it, didn't she? How could it be rape? Those questions were inevitable should she tell any authority about this and only she knew the true answer.

Besides, the only law enforcement unit here was lead by nobody but Miles Quaritch himself.

She was trapped in his carefully laid-out net in which sex played a prominent, but not the only role.

He had taken his time before he had taken her for the first time and the memories of this evening and all the other evenings afterwards haunted her more than she liked to admit. When she was supposed to work her mind wandered back to his hands on her naked hips, pulling her on top of him, pulling her closer, feeling him inside…

It was no daydreaming that she saw these images before her inner eye; it was out of a feeling of dread and disgust. He violated her most intimate sphere just because he could and on a regular basis. Sometimes he came to her quarters, sometimes he ordered her to come to his, but never could she anticipate when he would call upon her. He didn't sleep with her each time she was forced to spend time with him. Sometimes he used his hands to "satisfy" her, sometimes he barely touched her and sometimes not at all. He was very moody in all he did, but also very, very careful not to leave visible traces.

When she saw into her colleagues' faces she sometimes wondered what they would think if they knew that she was sleeping with the outpost's chief of security in order to ensure that they could continue their work with the Na'Vi. What a twisted and stupid situation! And telling them still wouldn't have improved anything. Thus she kept quiet and performed as it was expected of her. And waited. Nothing could last forever and that included Quaritch and his little game.

One day she would be free from him. She just waited for this day.

In the meantime she kept convincing herself that it got easier as time passed, but the truth was that it didn't. It hurt as much as on the first night they slept together and he made sure that she wouldn't forget. When he had summoned her that night, shortly after he had assaulted her in the laboratory she already assumed that this was finally the day when he wanted to take their "relationship" to another level, but again it didn't prepare her for this encounter. In an encounter that must have looked totally random to anybody else but her he made her understand that he wanted to see her that evening and that she'd better obeyed.

And she did. Of course. She would remember this evening forever…


	10. The Hard Way Part 2

I'm still alive and am back with a bit more this time. It would have been out sooner, but somehow the excitement didn't stop, because my laptop crashed. Being in a foreign country there was not that much I could do, but fortunately I had a flight home that week and got it repaired. It is sheer luck that I had a backup of my most recent version of this story, since after wiping the hard drive there was nothing left. Anyway - here it is. With a few chunks of Quaritch's POV like requested. And this time it is much longer. Enjoy. :)

The following scene borrows a bit from another movie by James Cameron and whoever guesses which, earns themselves a cookie. :D

* * *

He had summoned her to his quarters, not quite unsurprisingly and she had followed the call, not quite out of free will. But there she was now. He had let her in, made her walk in the middle of the room, but then seemingly had lost all interest in her. She felt totally bewildered standing there, but she had no desire to sit down before being explicitly asked to do so. Until then she would keep standing and waiting, although she slowly became nervous.

As if she was not present at all, Quaritch walked to the wall and took one of the weapons down. It looked large and dangerous, but apart from that Grace couldn't tell what kind of gun that was. Her qualifications lay elsewhere.

He began taking it apart, inspecting each component. Then he took a piece of cloth and began cleaning the disassembled weapon.

"This is a Combat shotgun," he explained, but it sounded as if he was talking to himself. Since Grace couldn't think of an appropriate answer, she stayed silent.

_What the hell is he doing?_

"Its magazine holds 96 shots and uses 20mm shells. It is very affective against the Na'Vi at close range and could rip one of them apart instantly."

"Interesting."

_Why are you telling me this?_

"It's a very useful tool, but there are already better models available."

Grace watched him handling the weapon. He knew exactly what he was doing and he did so with complete calmness. He was definitely a professional in his field of expertise, she had to admit that.

Still baffled by his recent actions, Grace decided to continue watching him. He obviously took his time and when he was finished he put the rifle back to its original place.

Then he faced her, as if he had only now realized that she had been present the whole time.

Softly he stroked her shoulder and her hair, before turning around and moving to the couch at the other side of the room.

Very slowly he sat down and poured two drinks, however without making the slightest indication that she should follow him.

Grace remained standing.

He smiled and leaned back.

"Please come a bit closer."

She obliged by taking a step forward.

"Very good."

He took his glass and drank a little sip out of it before putting it back on the table.

"You are so beautiful. I would like to watch you a bit."

"Watch me?"

Of course – if it had been simple, it hadn't been Quaritch. He seemed to have an endless supply of ways to make her life hell.

She had come here for sex, expected a mechanical and not very satisfying act and wanted to get over with it.

But because he knew this he made it harder on purpose. Why was she surprised?

The moment the question had burst out of her mouth, Grace realized that this was not the right way.

Each time she acted confused or puzzled he had gained what he wanted. Instead, she decided, she tried to play along, at least this time.

She was so low already that there was nothing more to lose.

"What do you want me to do?"

If he realized her change in behavior Grace could not tell. But he did not acknowledge it in any way.

"You may start with removing your blouse."

Grace looked down on herself and than began with unbuttoning her blouse as graceless as possible, which of course was not to his liking.

"No, no. Do it slowly. Very slowly."

She stopped and thought for a moment to defy him, but didn't want him to give the pleasure of doing so, because he probably expected her to refuse.

Little by little she began unbuttoning the rest of her blouse in a calm manner. When it was open she let it linger a bit, just so that it revealed her white bra and her bare belly, before she let it fall to the floor where it landed silently.

If she had to humiliate herself, she would at least retain a last bit of pride.

She was not frightened of him and he should know it.

He leaned forward and watched her, his gaze a mixture between anticipation and lust.

"Now remove your bra ... slowly."

Grace obliged again.

It had been a long time since a man had seen her like this. She never had expected nor wanted Quaritch to be the one who finally did. Naturally she felt exposed and awkward, but she resisted the urge to cover her breasts. She was starting to get into the ritual and in her head the biologist started to kick in. This was all part of an elaborate mating ritual a little voice in her head cried, although she had to admit that humans were the only ones of all the terrestrial and extraterrestrial species she'd met who were capable to do such things to one another. But then – the only other sapient species she knew of were the Na'Vi and those she didn't know _that_ well enough to make any qualified statements.

* * *

She had white skin and a few freckles, just as Quaritch had expected her to be. It was the first time he saw her delicate body and he was not disappointed. In fact he was quite surprised how well she adapted. She knew the game and she played it. By his rules, of course, but she tested the boundaries on a constant basis; and she knew how to deviate, even if it was by a tiny degree. He had had liked the fight she had put on at the conference and the defiance in her eyes that day. It was clear that she was working on a plan on how to get away from him in this very moment. Despite all that or probably because of it he liked her. But she wouldn't possibly understand that and it was better that way.

* * *

For an instant Grace thought she had seen a flicker of thoughtfulness in his face, as if his mind was not with her and her presence. But the moment was over before it had even begun. His eyes were firmly on her body now, waiting for her to reveal more.

"Now slide your trousers off."

Her fingers found the button of her jeans and she opened it slowly without even looking. Then she pulled the zipper down, thus opening the trousers enough to get out of them. She locked her thumbs at the waistband and pulled them slowly down. When they lay on the floor she stepped out of them and moved them away with her foot.

He nodded solemnly.

"That's good. Now the panties."

The last barrier before her total nakedness was about to fall, but from a biological perspective there was nothing to be afraid of. She realized that her science was the survival mantra of this very moment. If she didn't think too much about what was happening it was easier to continue – and being detached certainly helped.

With a swift movement she got rid of the last piece of clothing. She closed her eyes of the fraction of second and inhaled, but strangely enough there was not much of a difference. She shivered a bit, but not because she was ashamed, but because it was a bit cool without her clothes. The air conditioning worked too well, it seemed.  
She wondered what the next step would be and remained motionless until he announced the next directive.

His quiet, rough voice cut through her trance.

"Now, lie on the bed and close your eyes."

She stopped immediately, raised her head and fixed him for a couple of seconds. His face was very sober and if he was aroused – what she assumed – she couldn't see it from here. His mien didn't show and for everything else the table was in the way.

With her long legs she easily stepped over the pile of her clothes to the bed which was on the other side of the room.

She sat down slowly with an elegance she neither intended nor anticipated. The bed sheets felt cool against her bare skin, but began to warm rather quickly. She lay down as she was told to and closed her eyes.

For a while there was an eerie silence in the room and the only sound she heard was her own breath and the beating of her heart.

Then there was the rustling of clothes being removed and the soft vibrations of steps coming nearer.

She didn't need to watch in order to know that he had just undressed himself and was now on his way to her.

Her heart beat faster and she felt sweat in her palms, but she didn't dare to move.

When he came nearer she could almost sense his proximity and when he finally sat beside her the mattress gave way a bit under his weight.

He stayed where he was, but without touching her at first. Then, slowly he began stroking her hair, almost lovingly. Then as if he had all the time in the world he began running his fingertips over her eyes, down her cheeks. He had warm, dry hands which made his touch almost agreeable. There was no denying that a part of her found this very delicate and delicious, but these were her primeval instincts. Consciously she disgusted the very notion of being here.

She was again caught in the same dilemma as a few nights before.

There was no way she could resist her own instincts, what her body told her. But should she give in so easily? Wouldn't that be a betrayal to her own self? Letting herself go would certainly make things easier and more enjoyable, but wasn't that just an illusion? Would she be able to look at herself in the mirror again?

This was something that only concerned herself, but she hated him so much for forcing her into this predicament.

She felt his hot mouth at her ear, whispering a passionate: "Sshhh", before he bended over her and brought his lips gradually down to her. He touched them to hers so slowly that she barely knew he was kissing her. Then and only then he took her in a passionate kiss.

She sighed and let it happen. Although everything in her ached to return it, she did not. Yet she dared to open her eyes again. He had indeed undressed and Grace was not in the least surprised to see the muscular body of a trained soldier.

* * *

He reached out and began stroking her delicate shoulder while he began kissing her neck slowly working his way down to her breasts. She didn't physically resist but he could feel her reluctance. How long had he waited to touch her like this, see how she reacted while being in his arms.

Granted, a bit of force had been necessary, but there she was. Strong and fragile at the same time. She reacted to his caresses, but he knew that she didn't really enjoy it. Still, she had surrendered to him and a fool he would be if he didn't take advantage of it.

He knew that he had won.

* * *

His hunger and greed became more obvious now that he was so close.

He continued his caresses leaving a wet trail with his mouth. When he suddenly stopped, it came quite unexpectedly. His hands were on her breasts, stroking and caressing her nipples, and he looked at them with keen interest.

"I didn't know you had any children," he eventually said. His voice didn't betray whether it was meant as a casual remark, genuine interest or another way to hurt her. But it didn't matter. It all came back on her and it felt like a sharp pain.

_Not again!_

"I don't," she snapped. "But I don't think my past is of any interest to you."

"I see." He nodded thoughtfully. "Just as you wish."

_Children…_

Grace didn't know if he would now try to find out more about her life before Pandora. Her reaction surely gave him a reason and be it only to find new ways to offend her. But on the other hand, for some reason he seemed to respect when she didn't want to discuss a particular subject.

In the end it didn't really matter. He had brought back the memories. She hadn't spoken to anybody about it since her arrival this planet and there was nothing in her professional file relating to her personal past. But it was no real secret either. Still - it might have been the reason why she volunteered to go to another planet as one of the first humans, but it didn't impair her work and her research and thus it was nobody's business.

_But why is it still so difficult after all this time?_

He really didn't press the matter any further, but continued where he had left off. For her the mood was ruined even further with this conversation, he however didn't seem to mind or care.

He kissed her lovingly and finally after a long while where he took his time to concentrated on kissing her and tenderly playing with her breasts he let his hand wander between her legs.

She suppressed any reaction. Although her brain was signaling a pleasant sensation, she didn't want to give that away.

In a way it was really despairing – her body like all human bodies – was just a machine that worked if one pressed the right buttons. It didn't matter if she wanted it to happen. It simply did and although her face remained calm there were other indicators that signaled him that he managed to arouse her.

He smiled.

"What a good girl you are."

His touches, his caresses and the sensations he triggered in Grace were those of a careful lover, not those of a sick pervert who had her under his command. The illusion was almost perfect and disturbing at the same time, because it fooled her body. He really turned it against her and that hurt more than each violent act he could have committed against her.

When he finally entered her, Grace couldn't get rid of the feeling that he just raped her by _not_ raping her.

But was there to do? She complied. And a tiny part of her even liked it.


	11. Things Past

Again a short chapter - which is all the more shameful, because it took me so long. The idea was there from the start but to find the right words were not. Here we go: Grace's past. A Merry Christmas. After this there will be three chapters left. You can begin guessing what will happen in the end. :D

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Things Past**

Rain came down in heavy drops and left its traces on the thick window. The water ran down drawing bizarre figures, ever changing faces and strange shadows. Rain on Pandora was a strange thing and Grace remembered well her first time when she had experienced it. It didn't rain often, but it rained hard. So hard in fact that it seemed every time that there would be a flood afterwards. However the ground or the planet itself were able to take in the rain with such a fast pace that the worst case scenario never happened.

It appeared like a miracle every time, no less for the fact that Hell's Gate had withstood it for so long. Rain came in regular cycles, almost like the monsoon on earth, but the periods were shorter in general. Thus the raining days came not really as a surprise.

Grace watched the raindrops on the window almost in a trancelike state. They mesmerized her. Her work for this day was done and she had retreated in her armchair under a blanket and a cup of tea. A day like this cried for tea and for some reason she didn't want coffee.

She had tried to read, but to no avail. The book lay now on the floor, unnoticed, forgotten. Instead she watched nature fight the intruder. Also to no avail it seemed.

And the shadows of the past kept returning.

_Neil… Michael…_

It had to be next to 15 years by now, but it hurt as it had hurt the first day. She could never forget the solemn faces of the lawkeepers when they had informed her that he would never be coming back. She must have broken down then, but it was too long ago. She only knew that somebody had torn out something out of her heart that could never be filled again.

Everything gone in the instant the flames had consumed the car. An accident. Happening daily. But always to other people. Always to other people.

That day she had not only lost a man, she had also lost her only child and the life she had known. She had died that day, too.

Neil and her had been together for ten years by then. Both of them had been scientifically interested in the alien – that was how they had met.

The discovery of Pandora was great news at that time and when the first scout ships had returned with data of the new planet they had needed researches that analyzed the data.

She was the biologist, he was the geologist – both freshly graduated from university and both equally enthusiastic about these new opportunities. When RDA gave them a job they took it and stayed.

It was totally impossible for Grace to think of leaving earth at one time. She had a job, earned good money and had an understanding partner. And when she got pregnant with Michael it seemed that their life together was complete. She had everything she wanted.

And then the life she wanted burst out in flames.

That was probably the way it went and she learned an important lesson in the weeks following: Never to underestimate the surprises a life could hold, especially her own. Still mourning she tried to get the next transport off the planet – away from everything that reminded her of the family that was denied to her. She was lucky, since scientists were badly needed in the newly established colony and they took her gladly. She even got a raise in salary as if she ever needed that. She never wanted to come back. Ever.

Six years later the ship landed and when she awoke from her cryo sleep it didn't feel as if everything was already so long ago. It felt as if it had happened yesterday. That was the moment when she realized, that she could never forget, only suppress.

**Gradually she had managed to build a new live. Get in contact with the planet's native, become a diplomatic asset. She was there when they erected the school, she was there, teaching the Na'Vi children, gaining their trust. They even began to call her **_**Mother.**_** And she was there when they ransacked the school, taking away a family from her for the second time. And Quaritch had been one of them. He was the one who had shot her.**

A blurry photograph was all she had taken with her from her old life. The first years on Pandora she had kept it locked away and it was only rather recently that she had taken it out and put it on her night table.

It was the day when Quaritch had approached her for the first time, to be precise. The photo reminded her that there had been once a man who had really loved her for what she was, but it also reminded her that she had already been deprived of her life, that her being still alive was fate mocking her and that it couldn't get any worse.

She was still unsure if it really worked, but she knew now that the colonel's question about her having children had hurt her more than she ever wanted to admit. It had brought up everything in a way worse than she anticipated, because it had combined the two most horrible things in her life.

She got up, unwrapping herself from the blanket and took the picture from her nightstand. It showed all three of them in front of a sculpture of the earth with laughing faces. It was taken in the lobby of RDA's headquarters in London two days before the accident. She stroked it lovingly and suppressed the tears that wanted to fill her eyes.

Then she put it back.


	12. Jarhead

Okay here comes another update. This is not so special, because I simply am introducing movie events now in the fanfiction, trying to connect lose ends, give reasons for Grace's standoffish behaviour when meeting Jake for the first time and explaining what everything else has to do with it. I had some help from the script of the movie, so the dialogue is verbatim from the respective scenes.

Another thing: I managed to watch the extended version of the movie and especially the scene when Grace tells Jake about the attack of the school made me rivisit some chapters. The changes are **written in bold face.** The chapters are 1,2,3,5 and 8.

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Jarhead**

Being betrayed is one thing. Getting the only hope betrayed that was left, is quite another. The hope that had kept Grace alive in the last few weeks had been crushed like an unwanted insect the moment she saw the personnel rotation of the incoming transport ship. They had dared to switch a scientist who was scheduled to work with her with his twin brother who just happened to be a soldier. It was unbelievable!

A marine in her lab was really the _last_ thing she needed. It was of course utter nonsense that Quaritch was behind his appearance, since it was impossible even for him to control anything going on on Earth, especially six to seven years ago. But she couldn't help but _feel_ that way. Besides, even if this was not part of his original plan, he would soon make it a part, gaining another advantage. No she didn't want this man here, or neither man to be precise. And she found it even more scandalous that she had gotten the report on this very morning. They had known all along and not deemed it necessary to tell her. Sink or swim it seemed.

The last few weeks had not been particularly successful either, and although she had always tried to spare her team any bad mood she was feeling, it had become increasingly difficult. Despite all their successes she had praised at the conference they hadn't been able to change the status quo and Selfridge didn't pay them for collecting plants. Additionally her relationship with Quaritch lay heavily on her mind. She hadn't asked for it and it made everything only worse.

Somehow her team had found a way however to deal with her occasional swing of temper.

The session was longer than anticipated and when Grace felt her consciousness return in her human body, she immediately felt the tiredness in her bones. While she was sitting up, she stretched out and cracked her neck.

It was not a pleasant sensation, making this the worst moment of the whole Avatar project. The last days and especially this morning had not particularly added to her good mood, so the exhaustions of the last hours had made her slightly irritated.

"Who's got my goddamn cigarette?"

The words came out her mouth the moment reality had kicked in and they weren't without effect. Immediately one of her scientists hurried to her, giving her one that was already lit.

She took it thankfully and after inhaling she was able to deal with whatever awaiting her this time.

She swung her legs from the connector unit and saw that Max had brought in two new people. That was right! The transport had finally arrived. However the moment she laid eyes at the new personnel, it felt as if somebody had kicked her in the stomach.

From far away she heard Max say: "And here she is, Cinderella back from the ball. Grace, I'd like you to meet Norm Spellman and Ja…"

But she interrupted her colleague in midsentence, not able to bear the sight of this marine in her lab. It was too much, it was simply too much.

"Norm. I hear good things about you. How's your Na'vi?"

The young man she addressed, seemed shy at first, but then he used this question as an opportunity to show what he had learned.

"_May the All Mother smile upon our first meeting," _he uttered.

It had a slight accent, but was not bad at all, she had to concede. She nodded approvingly, taking a drag on her cigarette.

"_Not bad. You sound a little formal."_

"_There is still much to learn."_

She tried to avoid any eye contact with Norm's companion in the wheelchair, stalling a few more moments talking in the foreign language. From the corner of her eye he saw him looking around curiously.

Max made another attempt to introduce her to the young man, but she couldn't help herself being annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know who you are, and I don't need you. I need your brother," she snapped, then turning to her colleague in frustration. "You know, the PhD who trained three years for this mission."

_On whom I had counted and of whose early demise I was just recently informed, thanks very much!_

"He's dead. I know it's a big inconvenience to everyone."

He looked at her without fear, obviously used to this kind of treatment. Annoyed she tried to get the best out of the situation.

"How much lab training have you had? Ever run a gas chromatograph?"

"No."

"Any actual lab work at all?"

"High school chemistry. But I ditched."

It just kept getting better and better. This was the last insult on a long chain of events and she couldn't hold back any longer. She looked at Max, her expression a mix of despair and anger.

"You see? You see? They're pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain."

Before he could answer she headed for the door.

"I'm going to Selfridge."

Without another word she simply shoved past the young marine, totally ignoring him.

Deep in her heart she knew that it was not his fault, that she was impolite to a young boy who didn't even know what he was getting into. He had a long trip behind him and being disabled certainly didn't make thinks easier on him.

But he was also a marine, meaning that he was one of Quaritch's people, which made it absolutely unacceptable for him to work with her.

Since the colonel dictated the rules of their sick little game, she couldn't even accuse him of breaking their agreement, since he had only promised not to attack the Na'Vi, which he hadn't until now. But she could not allow that he would gain access on her area of work through this young man and there was no question that he would attempt to do so. In these things he was quite reliable.

She had been silent the whole time, but in this case she actually hoped to achieve something with Selfridge. Otherwise she wouldn't even have bothered.

Grace didn't come too often to the control room of the complex, because there had been rarely a need to do so. Her everyday dealings usually brought her to her lab, her quarters, the conference room and most recently also to Quartich's living quarters, but the control room was not among them. She normally talked to Parker during their monthly briefings, but of course sometimes there was the need to discuss something unscheduled. Like now.

The fact that she saw him preparing to practise golf in this very room, didn't exactly decrease her anger. With a few strides she approached him and at least this movement made him look in her direction.

"Parker, I used to think it was benign neglect, but now I see you're _intentionally _screwing us."

"Grace. You know I enjoy our little talks."

"I need a research assistant, not some jarhead dropout," she blurted out, but the only response she got was him hitting his carefully prepared ball. This made her so angry that she couldn't refrain herself from kicking the practise cup aside, thus making his blow a miss.

It would be a lie to say that she didn't enjoy stopping that golfball. It was totally beyond her comprehension how the person responsible for all of this, could be playing golf in the control room, while she and her team gave everything.

She couldn't blame him for not knowing about the thing with Quaritch, but she blamed him for a lot of other things. And although a voice in her head warned her to use the right words, she was just too angry and disappointed to care. At least she got his attention.

He put his putter somewhere else, not overly excited to see her. Finally he faced her, sighing heavily.

"Actually, we got lucky with him."

"Lucky? How is this in any way lucky?"

_How dare he?_

He didn't even deem it necessary to face her, while talking to her. Instead he went and tried to retrieve is stupid ball, while continuing.

"Well, lucky your guy had a twin brother, and lucky the brother wasn't an oral hygienist or something. A Marine we can use. I'm assigning him to your team as security escort."

Was this man out of his mind?

"The last thing I need is another trigger happy asshole out there!" Now she had said it, just realizing that her anger had blown away any possible diplomatic and thus probably more successful approach.

He seemed to have realized this as well, since she got the impression that he treated her, as if talking with a stubborn child. She tried at least to ignore this impoliteness.

"Look, you're supposed to be winning the hearts and minds of the natives. Isn't that the whole point of your little puppet show? If you look like them, if you talk like them, they'll trust you?"

While talking he walked over to his office nearby.

"But after - how many years? – relations with the indigenous are only getting worse," he continued, rubbing more salt in her open wound.

_Thanks for reminding me…_

"That tends to happen when you use machine guns on them."

Her retort seemed to have no real effect and she didn't even know, if he was aware of the graveness of the situation.

Of course he wasn't. He had one goal and one goal alone. He was now too fascinated by the hovering rock on his desk, to even listen to her.

With a swift movement he grabbed the metal and held it in front of her face.

"This is why we're here. Unobtanium. Because this little gray rock sells for twenty million a kilo. No other reason. This is what pays for the party. And it's what pays for your science. Comprendo?"

_No really, thanks for reminding me for the thousandth time._

He placed it back in the magnetic field, having lost all interest in her and her problem.

"Those savages are threatening our whole operation. We're on the brink of war and you're supposed to be finding a diplomatic solution. So use what you've got and get me some results."

It took all her self-discipline not to tumble backwards as if she had been hit. She had heard similar words before from the colonel. The fact that the current state of affairs was like this was the reason why she was in this predicament now. The transport ship had done nothing to help her. On contrary, it had worsened everything and now there was no end in sight.

Beaten she left Selfridge's office.


End file.
